Nuclear (2019) - full transcript

When it happens, it happens very fast.

My family's gone and I am gone, too.

It's very difficult
when you die so quickly.

It makes you lost for a long time.

Mom!

Mom!

Wake up!

Mommy, please!

Wake, wake.

Help!

Please!



Mom, please, please.

Mom, please!

Stop, stop, stop.

It's okay, I'm okay.

- Your keys are still here.

I'll grab some clothes.

We've got to go.

Mom.

He might come back.

Maybe we should call the police.

- Is that what you want?

- You know, I just wanted
to give him a chance.

- We should've gone when we could.

- I'm sorry.



You know, I don't think I can drive.

- I can.

- So, remember what I taught you?

Mirror.

Foot on the clutch.

Gently.

Look over your shoulder.

Good girl.

What is it?

- It's okay.

I'm only gonna be a minute.

- Hey, don't go to sleep.

- What's wrong?

Mom?

I thought
there was someone there.

- Who?

No!

- I'm sorry.
- What for?

- I crashed.

- You had to stop.

You had no choice.

- I don't know what we're going to do.

- Don't know.

Well, we can't just stay here.

- Okay.

- Hello?

Is there anybody here?

Hello?

- You're like Goldilocks.

- Mom?

Mom?

- There you are.

I woke up
and you weren't there.

- I had to barf.

You slept for hours.

You must've been really tired.

- I'm okay.

- I slept really well, too.

Really well.

Like I used to at Grandma's.

That room at the top of the house.

We used to stay there
when you were a baby.

You probably don't remember.

- I do.

- Do you?
- Mhmm.

- The seagull used to knock
on the window in the morning.

Yeah, I remember.

You probably just
remember me telling it.

- No, I remember.

Of course you do.

- What's wrong?

- Nothing.

I feel strange.

Not used to feeling like this.

- Are you in pain?

- No, I'm okay.

Honestly, it's just...

It was such a shock, what
happened with your brother.

I'm just feeling really tired.

I just need to rest.

- I'll hang the clothes up for you, okay?

- Okay.

I don't like crumples.

I know.

What are you thinking?

- I'm thinking about when he was a baby.

And he had been crying one night

and I picked him up and I held
him in front of the mirror

and I told him he was ugly
and I wished I never had him.

And of course he couldn't
understand, he was just a baby.

I was so stupid and young.

But sometimes I wonder
if he did understand

and that's why he hates me.

Your brother.
- Yeah, I know who

you're talking about.

Why do you always say your brother

like he belongs to me and not you?

- I'm sorry.
- He's your son

and he did this to you.

He's got nothing to do with me.

- I've made a mess of
everything, haven't I?

- Well you didn't make a mess of me.

- I didn't.

You're right.

I didn't make a mess of you.

Maybe you should call your father.

- Why?

- Why won't this work?

Just in case.

- We don't need him.

You said everything was going to be fine.

- And it is.

But just in case.

You've got his number, haven't you?

- Yeah, I've got it.

- You know, it's funny 'cause

I was so worried about
what he was going to do and

that's done.

We got away.

Hey, do you know where I've
always really wanted to go?

One of those islands really far up north.

You know, those places that
you have to get there by boat.

And I could stop driving my taxi.

I could make a wild island garden

with sea holly and dogwood.

I'd like that.

- And what about me?

What would I do?

- You'd swim.

From island to island all day, you'd swim.

You'd be the champion island swimmer.

My champion girl.

- Hey.

Hey!

What are you doing?

- What do you mean, what am I doing?

What are you doing?

- Nothing, I was just thinking
about swimming in the lake.

- Like that?

- Well, I brought swimming stuff.

Why were you on the wall?

- I was just practicing.

- Practicing what?

- The stuff I do.

What's it to you?

- I thought you were going to jump.

- I did jump.

- I mean jump off.

- Why would I do that?

- I don't know.

So do you live around here?

- Yeah.

Do me a favor.

- Well are you on holiday?

- No, I'm not on holiday.

Are you?

- I'm just here with my mom.

She's not well so we're
stopping here for a bit.

- It would kill you if you swam in there.

Don't do it.

- I'm a good swimmer.

- Swimming in a nuclear
lake, that's not so clever.

- What do you mean, nuclear?
- From the power station.

They closed it down.

Still full of toxic shit, though.

The lake, too.

Anyway.

If you want to go swimming,

there's better places than this.

I could show you.

- Yeah?

- It's great!

I can't feel my feet anymore.

But it's great!

You okay?

You're not going into
shock or anything, are you?

- No, I'm okay.

- Goosebumps.

- Make sure you stay on your side.

- Well I always do.

Except when you kick me.

- At least I don't shout out
in the night like a lunatic.

- I don't do that anymore.

- Yeah?

You did.

Last time we were at the caravan.

- What did I say?

What?

You said...

Don't wet the bed, Florence!

- Why'd I call you Florence?

- Why did you think I
was gonna wet the bed?

- Maybe I had a premonition.

- Maybe you're the one
that's gonna wet the bed.

- No.

It's definitely you.

Mom?

- Careful when you jump off.

You expect to bounce, but
the ground feels really hard.

- I had to go to gymnastics
when I was little,

but I was no good at it.

Couldn't even stand on one leg.

I'm better at swimming and diving.

Do you like diving?

- I like going up, not going down.

I like being up high.

- What's the highest you've ever been?

Well, apart from an airplane.

- In China.
- Where in China?

- Why do you want to know?

- I'm just interested.

- I could show you if you'd like.

We had to get there at
three in the morning.

It took six hours just to get halfway up.

We had to stop there.

The police came.

- Did they catch you?

- I wouldn't be here if they did.

We had to run!

- So who's the other boy?

- Antone.

He's from the Ukraine.

Now he's a crazy guy!

I'm waiting for him.

Why?

- We're just going to hang out here.

- Yeah, but why here?

- Why do you want to know?

- So you're going to climb things?

- Just one thing.

What?

If I tell you,

you have to swear you won't tell anyone.

- Yeah, I swear.

You won't go
running back to your mom

and be like, guess what, Mom?

- You don't have to tell me.

- Me and Antone, we're going
to climb up to the roof

of the nuclear power station.

- What?

- Yeah.

So we were going to climb up the outside,

but there's no way we
can get away with it.

So we need to do it from the inside.

But the last bit, though,

I don't know.

Maybe we can get out onto the roof,

but maybe we need to get out
one of the windows up there

and climb the last bit on the outside.

- You could die.

- Yeah.

We could.

- What's it like inside?

- I don't know yet.

I'm waiting for Antone.

I wouldn't go in on my own.

- Why not?

- You don't know what's in there.

You need at least two of you.

- Well, I could come with you.

- No fucking way.

- Why not?

- Is that you?

You don't have to clear up.

I would've done that.

You okay?

Where have you been?

- Nowhere, just getting ready for bed.

- No, before that.

You've been gone for days.

- What?

- I was worried about you,
so it seemed like days.

- It wasn't long.

- Did you see anyone?

- Where?

- Inside the house.

Or outside.

- I was just talking to a boy.

Why's your hair wet?

- It's not.

- I thought it was.

Why did I think that?

Why did I think your hair was wet?

- Probably just the light.

- So who's this boy?

- Just a boy.

- I keep thinking that
something really bad

is going to happen.

- Something bad already happened.

- Yes, I know.

Something worse.

- This place,

it was used for weapons in the Cold War.

And the Cold War made
not with the enemies.

But now we're going nuclear together.

Do you know where you come from?

Atone, the Ukraine?

They had Chernobyl there.

The place is full of wolves now.

- Maybe there's wolves inside here.

- Yeah, maybe!

So people say the fuel
pumps are still there,

that they haven't emptied them yet.

Locate the spinning fuel rods.

You can swim in there.
- Could I?

- No.

Of course you couldn't swim in there.

They've got fucking nuclear fuel in them.

Jesus.

I don't know if this is such a good idea.

This is the way in.

- You know, I make jokes
about swimming so much.

I didn't even bring my towel.

- So we just go in for a bit of a racket

and go out quick, okay?

You okay?

- Yeah.

- So before they built the power station,

this was used for chemical weapons.

That's why there's all
this underground stuff.

I'm going to take a look down here.

You stay there!

- Hey, Sis.

Found ya.

Go away.

Go away!

Go away!

- It's okay.

Here.

I'm here.

What are you talking about?

- Someone's here.

- There can't be anyone here.

It's our own voices, see?

Go on.

It won't hurt.

- I don't like drugs.

- Drugs are great.

It's okay, you know.

I shouldn't have taken you there.

- Just scared me.

- Yeah.

Well.

It was fucking scary, wasn't it?

How old are you anyway?

- 14.

Shit!

- What's wrong with that?

- Does your mother know where you are?

- She won't mind.

- Where's your dad?

- Romania.

How many tattoos you got?

- A few.

- Yeah, but how many?

- I get a new one when I
do a really good climb.

- Will you give me a tattoo?

No.

I'd draw on you if you'd like.

- I'm not a kid.

No, you're 14.

- Will you pierce my ear then?

All yours.

- All right.

You don't even like smoke, do you?

- No, it smells like my brother.

- What's wrong with your brother?

- Everything.

- This is going to hurt like fuck.

You're supposed to put ice on it first.

- I don't care.

- Which bit do you want, the
top bit or the bottom bit?

- Top.

- All right, I'm going to count to three.

Ready?
- Yup.

- One, two...

Don't fiddle with it, just leave it.

There.

This place is not for you.

So you going to
tell me about your brother?

- He's only my half brother.

He went to prison because
of what he did to me.

- What did he do to you?

- Oh, it was nothing like that.

He fractured my skull.

- He what?

- Threw me against a wall
and fractured my skull.

I was only eight, it was
easy for him to pick me up.

- Fuck.

You were eight?

So what happened?

- My mom came home, called an ambulance

and then she called the police.

Why did he do it?

- He hated me.

We can go in again if you want.

I won't be scared next time

because I'll know what to expect.

- Okay.

- You know, when I first saw you,

I thought you were a ghost.

I'm not a ghost.

- No, I know you're not.

Mom?

- I told you not to go out.

I told you it
was too dangerous out there.

- What, no you didn't.

- Yes I did.

I told you.

I said, don't go out
there because there's...

There's too much to harm you.

But you had to go off

'cause you think you're so big now.

But you're just, you're still a child.

- Why are you packing?
- Because we're leaving.

- How?

The car's broken down.

We haven't got any money.

- I can't stay here.

- But I want to, I like it here.

- You don't understand.

What's this?

When did this happen?

- It's nothing.

- No, it's not.

It's not nothing.
- It's just an earring.

- Who did this to you?
- No one.

- Well do you think I'm an idiot?

Of course it's not no one.

Was it this boy you've been talking to?

- Why do you have to be
so dramatic about it?

- I'm not being dramatic,

I'm trying to be your mother.

Look, we're in this terrible place and...

- Yeah, and whose fault's that?

We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you!

We could've got away.

We could've gone to Romania.

Anywhere!

But no, you had to wait for him

'cause you're so desperate
for him to love you.

And look what happened.

Well done.

- No please, don't go.

Don't, don't turn your back on me!

- Bona.
- Dad, it's me.

We're not here right now.

Please leave a message.

- It doesn't matter.

Hello?
- Is that you?

Emma.

- Dad?

So glad to hear your voice.

- How'd you get this number?

Well, you called
me last night, remember?

- Yeah.
- So where are you?

I found a number.

I found where you are, somewhere north?

- Well, that's not my reason I called you.

I just want to tell you about Mom.

I think she's okay.

I mean, she's not okay because
my brother really hurt her.

She was getting better.

Now it seems like she's getting worse.

I don't know, maybe it's the shock

that's making her act funny.

I really want her to see
a doctor, but we can't.

We've got to keep away from
people in case he finds us,

in case my brother finds us.

Dad, are you still there?
- I don't understand

what you're saying.

You're not making any sense.

- I'm saying Mom seems to be
getting worse and I'm worried.

That's why I called you.

What do you mean
she's getting worse?

- Well, she's better physically, stronger.

She's being strange, like
something's happened to her head.

Where are you?

- In a house.

It's like a holy place
for religious people.

Then who else is with you?

- No one, just Mom and me.

Dad?

Emma, the police
called me here in Romania.

They called me to tell me what happened.

- Well how do the police know?

Have they got my brother?

They found your mom, Emma.

In the woods.

They found a body and
they couldn't find you,

so they called me and...

Well, I didn't know what to do.

- But she's here.

She's in the morgue.

- What?

I'm sorry.

Emma, tell me where you are.

I could maybe get a flight.

I mean, it's going to be
difficult with the girls, but...

If you need me to come over, I could...

Mom!

Found ya.

So what are you doing here, Sis?

All on your own.

I was worried about you, you know?

Do you want some spice?

Of course you fucking don't.

I got a taste for this when I was inside.

Where was I inside again, Sis, hmm?

Who was it that put me there?

Oh yeah.

It was our fucking mother.

I've been missing you.

I was.

Hey!

You're just lucky you're found, yeah?

Why did you run away, hmm?

I was following you.

And then I lost you.

And I thought, I actually
fucking lost her.

Did she teach you how to drive?

She never taught me.

So I'm driving around for a few days,

keeping my head down, you know why.

And I pull into this lay by

And you know what,

it's like I could fucking
smell you in there.

I knew you were somewhere close by.

You listening to me?

Fate is what brought us back together.

And what do you think about that?

Fuck.

Stay here.

What the fuck have you been
telling people about me?

- I didn't say anything.

- You're saying I killed your mom.

- No.

- Is that what you said?
- No.

- You spiteful fucking bitch.

You are just like your
fucking mother, you are.

Always putting the blame on me.

And then you left me in the fucking woods.

But it don't fucking matter
what you do, does it?

No, it's always my fault.

My whole fucking life!

You say one fucking word.

Not your lucky night.

What the fuck, Sis?

You push me to the edge.

You and your fucking mama.

- Don't say her name.

- You are.

Don't move.

- Don't.

- You thought you was on fire, didn't you?

It's only water.

You fucking idiot.

I am the fire!

Be better next time, eh?

Wake up!

You come back here!

Hey, Sis!

Who's your favorite girl?

No more running away, Sis.

We've got to stick together, me and you

'cause blood sticks together.

We're brother and sister.

Please, Emma!

Please!

You saved me, Sis.

I can't believe you saved me.

But why'd you leave me there?

In the woods, bleeding like that?

You hurt me so much.

It had to be done.

- Emma!

Emma?

Emma!

Emma.

Emma!

Emma, Emma, Emma, Emma.

Hey, hey.

Hey, it's me.

It's me.

Why are you wet?

- It's a big tower of darkness came

and it took away my home and my family.

It was so quick that I had no time

to understand what was happening.

So I stayed in that place,
Fukushima, for a long time.

I looked for my family,
but I couldn't find them.

And I went in taxis like your taxi

looking for my family,
looking for my home.

But it was all gone.

And now, you are ready.

I can bring you to the next place.

- But I need to go back now.

- Go back?

- Go back to my daughter.

She's only 14.

- No.

No going back now.

- Is this it?